Getting beardies to hang out with you?

[Kray]

Hey there

Our two beardies are almost 3 months old; I want to hang out with them, maybe watch TV with them perched on my shoulder, etc. How do you get them used to this idea, without having them jump to their deaths or disappear under the sofa?

For the record, I just wanted to plunk our male on my shoulder and introduce him to the world from 6 feet up, but my girlfriend is nervous about him running away and never being seen again.

Advice / anecdotes are welcome!

 

[Kidster96]

Slowly.
Lol.
I took my bearded dragon out when I "trusted" him, walked around the house for a little, first thing he did was jump off my shoulder onto the floor and try to eat a wall.

 

[Kray]

Slowly.
Lol.
I took my bearded dragon out when I "trusted" him, walked around the house for a little, first thing he did was jump off my shoulder onto the floor and try to eat a wall.

He survived the jump from your shoulder? :shock:

 

[Kidster96]

I'm a short person he was confused when he landed though.

 

[HaleyMaree]

Puff will go for a sucide drop...sure its not great at all but I mean the couch thing isnt a thing to worry about at all. Also at almost any pet store that sells reptiles they will have leashs and then if they go anywhere far it will catch them. I mean I can have Puff on my knee and he will sorta slid down my leg and I just pick him up....also the whole thing running super fast and never coming back will not happen if you have your eyes on them the whole time and they can't go outside then they wont go far.

What you neeed to do is take him out for about 15 minutes or less then put him back in I mean its part of handling too. But today Puff went to value village with me to find a carrier for him like basically like a chiwawa ( i know thats not the spelling ; ) ) purse but Puff is really calm and loves to tuck him seld under my hair.


~Haley :mrgreen:

 

[Sparktail]

I have owned Gorbash since he was a little baby and i handled him a hell of allot since then, he is a year old now and he will happily just snuggle up in my hair or under the blankets next to me to sleep or chill. He even climbs up my face when i'm lieing down in bed (and it hurts!)

I guess you just need to get them to trust you and they shouldn't stray too far.

 

[drgnfly2265]

3 months is still that baby age where they want to get out and explore and be jumpy. Keep holding them everyday so they get used to the idea. When they get to about 1 year old and bigger they usually become more relax and just want to sit and chill.

 

[HaleyMaree]

Puff was always a very chill beardie!

~Haley

 

[Kray]

Great advice, gang. Thanks - I will keep working on it.

 

[warnisha]

Yeah my girl is almost a year and she just isn't so fond of the out an about thing! She freezes and won't go anywhere! She hates being toted around likes her enclosure!!!! She puffs up like a maniac on the leash!!! its amusing! I still do it but she just isn't too fond of it. She will do okay after her bath wrapped in a burrito for a while then she is done with that as well! and wants out! with kids, dogs, and cats in the house she doesn't get floor time I am too afraid of her getting trampled! lol!

my big guy, 2 years is great he will just hang on on my shirt or on my shoulder! and pretty much stays where he's been put down! occasionally he will wander off the couch if hes sitting there with us and usually ends up by his viv or the food holders! lol! one day we were sure he was lost in the house couldn't find him till we heard this scratching....he was trying to get into the crickets (before my roach colony now we don't have crickets yay)....silly boy! smart though!

 

[stangbanger]

mine will come and hang out with me for about 15minutes, then she will take off like a crazy thing and run back to her viv....once she gets to it she tries to get into it through the glass...scratching, head butting, etc....i have to pick her up real quick so she doesnt hurt herself....mine is ok getting out, but she gets bored easily...if shes sitting still more than 15minutes she will want to take off and go explore...and shes 5!

 

[bltkpo]

With our six-month-old, we let her run around in a controlled environment, where she can't hide, and we can keep an eye on her. Eventually she cools off enough that she loses some serious energy and will snuggle something. We take this as she is ready to sit calmly with us; which she does. She snuggles on our laps and under blankets on our laps. She is so calm after this she will fall asleep.

 

[reptilegyrl]

keep working at it! hold them every day even if just 5 or 10 min at a time. lil ones like to explore and are jumpy lil things sometimes! you can wrap them in a towel or blankie and try to set them on your lap or chest. it might calm them a bit...or make them freak out depending on the beardie! lol just avoid high places for a while! i used to hold my baby over her enclosure or sitting on the floor. or in the bathtub even!

 

[Bwalter]

my girl, 11 months old, hates being in her viv. Everything I check on her and put my hand in to pet her she is really quick to run up my arm and hang on so I can't get her off. I have had her long enough with lots of time out and her thing is to wrap her up in a towl and rub her back, she falls asleep.

 

[plusewolf]

it funny I'm a bit surpassed mine as hurt itself, back when I first got mine. oh boy I remember mine loved to jump off me at any height, it did not care the height, it would just jump